Mentors and how have they assisted you in your career:Sandra Mastroianni is someone that I worked with for 10 of the 12 years of my career at Acosta. Sandy has been a great mentor and has been a great example of how to be a leader. Both Dean Wasniewski and John Steurer have also been great mentors throughout my career. I have worked for both Dean and John multiple times during my career at Acosta. I consider both Dean and John very strong leaders and look to both of them for insight regularly. I always have a great deal of respect for the feedback that John and Dean provide.

Most challenging part of your job:The most challenging part of my job is being an expert on retailers and clients across the entire country. In a national position, there are a lot of points of contact and a lot of moving parts at all times. Being able to play an active role in various projects across different retailers and geographies simultaneously can be challenging at times. My previous roles have always been regionally focused so a national role has helped me to gain competencies in more areas.

Advice for upcoming younger executives:My first piece of advice would be to create your own opportunities. Regardless of the role that you are in at any point in your career, it is what you make of it. There is a distinct difference between “doing your job” and “creating opportunities within your job.” My goal is to strive for the latter. Second piece of advice would be to strive for continuous improvement. Whether you have been in a role for six months or six years, there are always new things to learn to keep it fresh. Many of those learnings come from associates that you interact with on a daily basis. Look for best practices and learn from those around you.

Hobbies:I spend my time outside of work with my two daughters, my family and friends. I like to run, as I find it to be a great way to relieve stress and keep in shape at the same time.

Women of Influence

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